







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| And these days, I go to that pub quite often. | |
| Um, I don't feel like eating anything but fish today. | |
| Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | |
| What do you expect English teachers to look like? | |
| I'm a bit paranoid about it. | |
| It's still £5 more than the bigger room! | |
| His name's Sergio. | |
| Very nice! I hope he doesn't do it all the time! | |
| Hello guys, you must be Cate, I'm Joseph. | |
| He must be sleeping, he usually works at night, too. | |
| He is a Chow Chow. | |
| Well, that's another problem! | |
| Whose cat?... Do you mean my cat? | |
| I really don't want to see her again! | |
| I took Bear out and I'm just about to leave. | |
| That's extreme, I don't think we have a mortar and pestle. | |
| Is it hay fever? I've got some pills for it! | |
| We are back, where is Bear? | |
| Do you want me to tell her that you are here? | |
| If you are going to ask for money, I don't have any, either. | |